The 20th annual Ottawa Wine & Food Show took place a couple of weeks ago and, as usual, it allowed the thousands of attendees to taste widely: More than 1,200 different wines were poured. I was there all three days, and as I wandered through the Congress Centre, tasting and chatting (this is a pretty nice way to spend time!) I gained some impressions about trends in wine and wine preferences.
Some booths or stands seemed perpetually popular. You might think that with all the Australian wine sold, people might give Australia a miss. But no, there's clearly something truly compelling about the wine, and the pourers never stopped.
Another busy stand was South Africa — busier than you'd expect given its relatively low profile at the LCBO. There was quite a buzz about wines from Lammershoek, in the warm Swartland region. I was at that winery a couple of years ago, and I remember looking at the vines shimmering in the heat. Lammershoek had some great blends and varietals, so watch for them on restaurant wine lists and (I hope) at Vintages.
Chile seemed to do pretty good business, too. There were some outstanding wines, some from well-known producers, others from less-known. I tasted some excellent wines from Casa Lapostolle (especially Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon) that will be in Vintages' Nov. 26 release.
New Zealand attracted a steady line of outstretched glasses for Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.
Mexico had a tasty Petite Syrah and a very successful sparkling wine. I wish the LCBO carried Mexican wines. Vintages is going to feature some next May, but you'd think that with free trade and all, Mexican wines would be a permanent fixture. Surely there are enough Mexican restaurants to support them.
Ontario's wineries did well, too. Half were at the Wines of Ontario stand, and half had independent booths. They poured some real gems but, unfortunately many are not available locally; they're not in the LCBO, and the wineries don't have retail stores. Two I would chase down are the Cabernet Franc and the Botrytis-Affected Riesling from the Mountain Road Wine Company.
Am I wrong in thinking that, overall, the European booths and stands were less crowded than the New World's? It's not that they didn't pour some very fine wines, but I get the feeling that Ottawa tastes are shifting New World-ward.
Prevailing wisdom says that Quebec favours Old World (especially French) wines, Western Canada (especially B.C.) favours New World, and Ontario is sort of 50-50.
For what they're worth, my impressions are that the show tasters were predominantly New World. I got that feeling, too, from a couple of the wine tastings I led: There was less interest in more structured wines than in the fruitier styles.
It's all a matter of personal preference, of course, but I think it's great to experience the full range. Spain, Italy, France and Germany, to name the main producers, were pouring some very good (and some superb) wines at the show.
Four good-value whites from four countries in today's rack, all from the 2004 vintage. Cooler weather might make you start to think red, but these are successful with a wide range of foods.